Path of Exile: Affliction is the next expansion for the long-running, free-to-play ARPG. The new expansion brings its eponymous challenge league, as well as new Ascendancy classes, rewards, and much more when it launches on PC next week, with console versions the following week.
Path of Exile: Affliction takes players to the Viridian Wildwood, a foreboding darkness that is slowly uncovered by the Sacred Wisps that beckon you into it. As Exiles progress through the Wildwood, shedding the darkness, monsters can jump out and attack at any moment, adding to the danger. However, these Sacred Wisps only last for a limited time, but once they run out, they open a portal back to where you came from.
Special wisps can be collected while in the Wildwood, and these can be brought back to Wraeclast with you when your Sacred Wisps run out. Once back in Wraeclast, these special wisps will inhabit random monsters, imbuing them with increased power, but also can increase the potency of their rewards. Grinding Gear Games also states that these wisps can inhabit bosses, and more than one wisp can imbue itself to a monster, greatly increasing the effects and the challenge. Path of Exile: Affliction will also bring fifteen new and unique items to the ARPG to collect, so it behooves players to try to take out as many wisp-infused enemies as possible.
The Viridian Wildwood is also home to some of the last of the Azmeri Wanderers, where they have honed their survival skills. These Azmeri Wanderers can give quests to complete, with the reward being a new Ascendancy Class - which works alongside your existing Ascendancy Class, such as the Warden of the Maji, which can use Tinctures to coat weapons to give them more power and effects.
Ultimatum is finally going core in Path of Exile as well, bringing the Ultimatum league to the core game. This has been completely rebalanced by the Path of Exile team, with the base number of Ultimatum rounds now fixed at ten. Metamorph was also removed from the game, with the Catalyst rewards moved to Ultimatum.
You can check out the full stream in the Twitch embed below. Path of Exile: Affliction will launch on PC on December 8th, with Xbox and PlayStation console release coming a week later on December 13th.
